Improvement in sewing-machines



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

A. STE-WARD. Sewing-Mao hine.

Patented Aug. 27, 1878..

wflqesses. Q Irp/eqk uf. %@Z%WW m 1M0! designed as an improvement uponthe main one direction from a radius-bar or arm,which UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE.

AURELIUS STEVARD, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONN, ASSIGNOR TO WHEELER & \VILSONMANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN SEWING-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 207,454, dated August27, 1878; application filed May 6 To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AURELIUs STEWARD, of Bridgeport, in the county ofFairfield and State of Connecticut, have invented an ImprovedSewing-Machine, of which the following is aspecification;

This invention relates to sewing-machines of the Wheeler 86 Wilsonclass, and is specially chines described in United States Letters PatentNos. 175,463, 124,360, and 145,570, to which reference may be had.

Figure 1 represents, in side elevation, a sewing-machine constructed inaccordance with this invention, a portion of the needle-bar-actuatingarm being broken away to show other parts; Fig. 2, a detail of thetension device; Fig. 3, a detail of the set-screw for adjusting thefeed-lever Fig. 4, a front elevation of the machine; Fig. 5, a partialunder-side View, the parts being broken out to economize space upon thedrawing, the hook and feed-lifting cam being removed; Fig. 6, details ofthe presserfoot lifting and guiding devices; Fig. 7, a detail of thefeeding mechanism, and Fig. 8 a detail of the friction-finger to producetension on the bobbin-thread.

The needle-operating and take-up mechanisms, and the construction andoperation of the rotating hook with reference to the needle, are in thispresent invention as in Patent No. 175,463.

The feeding device is lifted by a cam with which it is always incontact, and is moved forward by a lever which derives its motion isactuated by a link or connection set in movement by a second cam on thehook-shaft, with which it is kept in constant contact, whereby the feedis made practically silent. The tension device for the needle-thread ismounted upon a stud or center-pin, which is adapted to be locked whenthe machine is in use, and to be released when the presser-lifting leveris elevated, whereby the needle-thread is permitted to run freely fromthe spool carrying it, to enable the work to be readily removed fromunder the presser-foot, thereby obviating the hand, as is usual for suchpurpose in other machines.

The main shaft a is provided with an eccentric to move theneedle-driving arm 11, and with a earn, 0, to actuate the take-up d, allas in the patented machine referred "to. At the forward end of thisshaft a is a disk, 0, provided with a crank-pin, which is connected, bymeans of the link 9, with a pin on a crank, h, at the rear end of thehook-shaft a, supported in a bearing, j, placed out of line with themain shaft, the rotation of the latter shaft, through the link g,imparting to the hook-shaft the variable motion substantially such asdescribed in Patent N 0. 124,360, wherein is employed a differentialdisk. The hook is as commonly made.

The feed-bar is, having the usual serrated block 3, is raised by a cam,Z, on the hookshaft, (see Fig. 1,) is moved forward by a feed lever, m,acted upon by the radius-bar or arm n, pivoted at one end to the bed ofthe machine by a screw-pivot, 4, and joined to a connecting-link, 0,provided with a swivel -block, 1), acted upon directly by a cam, q, boththe cams l and q being so arranged with reference to the feeding devicesas to always remain in contact with the parts directly moved by them, soas to make the feed silent.

The feed-lever m, pivoted upon a block, 4'', and fitted to and madeadjustable in suitable guideways, at the rear of the machine, and guidedat its front end by passing into a slot, 00, which permits it to moveonly longitudinallyand laterally, is providedwith an adjustingset-screw, 5, and friction-spring t, preferabl ylocated above thesupporting-bed, whereby the lever m may be moved longitudinally to placethe projection a thereon at such distance from the fulcrum of theradius-bar as is necessary to produce the proper length of stitch, forthe radius-bar is forced against such projection a each time that theconnecting-link o is moved positively by the cam g.

It will noticed that the feed employed in this instance is of the classwherein the feedpoints 3 overhang or project laterally from the bar Tosteady and support such bar necessity of drawing the needle-thread byagainst strain of the press'er-foot, which would tend to overturn it,the rear end of the bar is provided with tail-pieces a 7, which areshaped as shown in Fig. 5, their ends w being of such length as toextend laterally from the bar to a distance substantially equal to thedistance which the feed portion 3 proj ects laterally from the bar 75.The forward end of the feed-lever is made to rest between thesetail-pieces a, 7, as shown, and to move forward and backward with thefeed-bar, such feed-lever acting to support the back end of the feed-barand to prevent its overtipping. As thelever m moves with the bar k, allfriction and cramping between the forward-movin g feed-bar and its sidesupports-friction caused by the pressure of the presser-foot upon theoverhanging portion 3, which is common in other machinesis obviated.

The tail-piece 7 is formed as part of a hardened-steel bar or plate, aattached to the feedbar by screws 8, such plate also receiving the wearof cam l. Tail-piece a is herein shown as made part of 7a. This feed-barla is moved positively upward by a cam and forward by the feed-lever m,but is returned after such movements by a spring, c This bar, to bereturned easily by the spring 0 must play freely between its sidebearings; and consequently, when moved upward and forward against thestress of the presser-foot 10, this bar 70 is liable to be deflectedfrom its proper straight line to the extent of its looseness between itssupports. To obviate this lateral deflection and insure a straight-linemovement of the feed, the spring 0 is so placed that, besides moving thefeed-bar downward and backward, it also crowds or cramps the feed-bar inthat direction in which the presser-foot, by its action upon theoverhanging portion 3, would cramp it, thus preventing any farthermovement in such direction by the presser acting as described. Thisspring, so inclined, is shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

The finger (1 which regulates the tension of the bobbin or under thread,is, in its action upon the thread, substantially as in Patent No.145,570; but instead of adj ustin g it through the agency of a lever, ascrew, 0, is employed, it having a conical end, 12, to act upon orwithin a conical seat or incline, a made in or at the edge of the finger01. (See Fig. 8.) The inward turning of the screw increases the tension,and vice versa.

The ring-slide will be of any usual construction. The shank g of thepresser-foot is provided with an adjustable collar, h, having a wing, i,which is permitted to project into a slot or space between a part of thestationary head 14 and a lug, j, attached thereto, by which means thepresser-foot is guided in a straight line as it is lifted by the feed,the upper end of the slot being open to permit the presser-foot to beelevated and turned away from the feed and needle when desired.

The presser-foot-lifting cam-lever 15 is pivoted within this slot upon ascrew-pin, It, so

as to act upon the lower edge of the wing. This screw-pin may be turnedinward to close up the slot and compensate for wear of the wing.

The tension device I for the needle-thread is and may be of any usualsuitable construction; but instead of being supported upon a fixed stud,its stud is made so that it can be held fixedly or be allowed to revolvefreely. This stud m, supported in suitable bearin gs, is provided, asshown in this instance, with a notched disk, n, which is adapted to beengaged by a spur, 0, connected with the rear end of a tension-lever, p,pivoted at q upon, the overhanging arm W, the forward end of such lever19 being provided with a pin or projection, 1", (see Figs. 1 and 6,)which, as the presser-foot-lifting lever 15 is elevated, as shown indotted lines, acts upon such pin 1 to move the lever and withdraw thespur 0 from one of the notches in the disk n, which then allows the studm to freely rotate with the tension device, the latter, however, notrotating thereon, which permits the thread to be drawn freely from itssupplying-spool as the operator removes the work from the machine, thusobviating the usual trouble of drawing the thread by hand to form slackfor the removal of the work. When the machine is sewing regularly thespur engages one of the notches of the disk n, and holds the studlocked, when the tension device will act as usual.

It is obvious, instead of releasing the stud by this lever p, that thelever might be made to force the spur against a portion of the spring16, which bears upon the tension device 1, so as to remove the pressureof such spring from the pulley over which the thread is passed torelease such pulley.

For the successful release of the tension device, as described, it isconsidered essential that the lever or device which releases it beactuated by the presser-foot-liftin g lever rather than by a part risingand falling with the presser under the action of the feed and by reasonof varying thicknesses of material, for in the latter case the tensionwould be liable to be released by seams, &c.

It will be noticed that the slot in which the block or pin 1' slides isprovided with a scale, 18, to indicate different lengths of feed.

The finger d is held in place by screws 19.- The cloth-supporting bed 20may be of any usual shape.

I do not claim, broadly, a tension device or spring which rests upon andderives its motion to release the needle-thread directly from thepresser-bar itself when lifted, for in this my invention the release ofthe tension device depends directly upon the movement of thepresser-foot lifter, and not the presser.

I claim- 1. In combination, the feed-bar, the adjustable lever m tosupport it at its rear end, the bar it to act upon the fcedlever to moveit laterally, the connected link 0, the swivel-block p thereon, and acam to vibrate the bar and a cam to raise the feed, substantially asdescribed.

2. The feed-bar provided with the tail-piece a, combined with the bar aprovided with the tail-piece 7, substantially as and for the purposedescribed.

3. The feed-bar provided with the overhan gin g portion 3, and thefeed-lever m, to support it at its rear end, combined with a cam to liftthe feed-bar, and a spring, 0, located with reference to the feed-bar,as described, to press it downward, backward, and laterally,substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. A tension device for the needle-thread and a lever, 19, adapted tohold and release it,

AURELIUS STEWARD.

Witnesses GEORGE E. DIMoND, EDWARD S. BOYNTON-

